Ballot tally sheet



R. G; CUTTER.

BALLOT TALLY SHEET. APPucATmN FILED FEB. 23. 1918.

1,416,792. Patented y 23, '1922.

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Y l PROPOSITION yes GoQerIwr I PIC HA RD 'ROE Pep. PROPOSITION HARRY ROEProg. I men/mu ma Proh. PROPOSITION JOHN DOE Del-m.

Lieutenant Governor "I'HOfi. ROE De nv. JAMES POE Pen PATENT orr lcs.

RICHARD GARRETT COTTER, or sA sALITo, CALIFORNIA.

BALLOT TALLY SHEET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23,1922.

Application filed February 23, 1918. Serial No. 218,878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, Rrorrnnn G. Corran, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sausalito, in the county of Marin and State of California,have invented a new and Improved Ballot Tally Sheet, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to voting systems or appliances and hasparticular reference to a type or form of ballot designed espe cially tofacilitate the counting of the bal lots after the polls are closed, andat the same time serving to reduce to a minimum the likelihood of errorin making the election returns.

More definitely stated, the invention contemplates the printing of theballot having the names of the candidates or propositions to be votedupon, all arranged in two or more columns, as may be determined by thenumber of candidates or propositions, the columns of names orpropositions to have arranged directly opposite them, blank votingsquares, all the squares for each column a of names being at a uniformdistance from the vertical right hand edge of the sheet, means furtherbeingprovided for assembling the sheets one upon another but offsetlaterally a distance substantially equal to the width of saidvotingsquares.

A further object of the invention is to so design and print the ballotsasjto render them suitable for assemblage in the manner just stated sothat when a large number of ballots are connected each to each, alongvertical lines provided for that purpose, the group or assemblage ofballots may be inspected, counted and the totals for each candidateregistered in a spaceprovided for that purpose.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a sheet, which may becalled a starting sheet, upon which a plurality of ballots may be.readily assembled and upon Which the result for each candidate orsubject matter being voted upon may beproperly recorded.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter bemore fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings, inwhich like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inallthe views, and in which Figure l is a broken View indicating a portionof the face of a single ballot of two columns.

Figure 2 is a broken view indicating a portion of the face of a group orassemblage of six ballots, it being'understood that the group mayconsist of any convenientnumber of ballots.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the device of Figure 2 as viewed in thedirection of the arrow 21. This figure is greatly exaggerated so'as toshow the adhesive portions.

In carrying'out this invention in a practical embodiment, it is obviousthat the ballots maybe printed in auniform style with respect to sizeand subject matter printed thereon, and also they may bemade of anysuitable'size or length according to the .number'of candidates or publicmeasures being voted upon. As shown herein each ballot will be wideenough to contain two or more columns of names of candidates orpropositions'tobe voted upon, and at the extreme right hand "edge ofeach column of names or propositions, a vertical column or columns ofblank squares for the cross or other marks to be placed by avoter inmaking his selection, and also upon the left hand edge of the ballot, ablank margin in which to apply paste, mucilage or otherfastening meansby whichthe ballots areto be fastened into a group or assemblage.

The drawing sets forth 1n a somewhat diagrammatic manner a roup orassemblage ofsix ballots indicated by the reference characters a, Z) 0,(Z, 6 and 7. These ballots, though. alldesigne'dto be precisely alike inevery particular, are indicated by separate reference cllaracters forthe purpose of bet ter describing the novel and useful features ofthe-invention.

Referring to Figure 2, it will plainly appear that the ballot 7 extendsfrom the line 10 to; the left as far as the line 11, and includes thecolumn of namesr12, the voting squares l6, and the margin or spacel8.Under the block 1 1-, is a block 15 for the names of candidates forgovernor, for example; and at the right hand edge of each column ofnames is arranged a voting equare or squares 16 foreach candidate as isusual in ballots Below the block 15 are other blocks for groups of namesof candidates or other questions or propositions to be voted upon. At 18is a space of suitable width for mucilage or paste in fastening theballots of a group together. At 72. is what may be termed a startingsheet of a length corresponding to the length of the ballots ill) and ofany suitable width, to serve as a base upon which to assemble theballots in the manner hereina't'ter des ribed. The mar- ,Qlll 20, ot thestartin sheet is to be used. as ii space in which to enter the totalnumber ct votes .reived by each candidate.

At 7.: in Fig. 2-, a portion of ballot f is indicated as cut away toshow the paste or mucilage as applied to the left hand margin otlfballot (3 and to the starting sheet h, for the purpose of securing theballots each to each and to the starting sheet.

if the number of candidates is not too great, single column ballot maybe suilicicnt and the width thereof may be only great enough to coverthe portions 18, 12 and 16. it. however, the number oi candidates orpropositions is so great as to make a column ballot unwieldy, I preferto print the ballots with two or more columns of names of candidates orpropositions to be voted on indicated in Figure l, the sccond columnbeing somewhat narrower than the first, and the third, it there be such,some what narrower than the second, the columns being; separated fromeach other by heavy vertical lines as indicated by m in Figure l.

lllach voter, as heretoilforc, will be given a single ballot such asrepresented by Figure 1, and described above. A voter will then mark,told and cast his ballot in substan tially the same manner asheretofore.

The advantages of this improved form of ballot and system oil countingwill be readily appreciated when considered in connection with thetabulating of the results of the election in any precinct. Instead ofthe o'l'licers oi the election struggling with an effort to count andtabulate the ballots as heretofore, reading each entire ballot andtallying each name as read, which is a very tedious and di'llicultmatter with the use of the common ballot, especially if it is a largeone, the first step in the system of counting, as herein proposed, is toapply a ballot upon the starting); sheet 7: as indicated at the righthand side of .liigure 2, leaving the margin 510 o l the starting sheete1: posed at the right hand edge l7 ol the ballot, herein indicated asa. The first ballot is secured to the start innsheet along the space 18,by applying mucilage or paste, or any other suitable fastening; means.The second ballot Z) is then applied on ballot a and secured as before,leaving exposed to view all the voting squares 16 of ballot a. The thirdballot c is then applied in the same manner, any de sired number ofballots being assembled each to each and secured inv position, leavingexpo ed to view all the voting; squares 16 of each ballot. As eachballot is secured in its proper place all. votes marked on said ballotare :uitomatically and accurately tallied for the respective candidatesor propositions voted for, eliminating the tedious work of reading theballots, and also the many errors resulting from incorrect reading andtallying'.

Since the ballots are assembled in perfect lateral aligm'nent, the heavyrulii'igs serving as guide marks in bringing the ballots into properposition, all of the squares 16 pertaining' to a single candidate appearin a straight line at the right of such candidates name. The last ballotapplied to the group of ballots carries a display of the names of thecandidates, as indicated in column 12 Figure 2, and since all of thevotin squares in the horizontal line to the rightv oil any czmdidatesname pertain to that name and to no other name, the total number ofvotes for such candidate is found by simply totaling the number ofproperly marked voting squares appearing to the right of such candidatesname in any group or assemblage of ballots.

The totals thus obtained will then be en tcred upon the blocks 20 ot'the starting sheet 71. its is usual in the printing of ballots, *ert-ainlines will be printed heavier than otl'iers, so as to serve in guidingthe eye in lindin the totals, and also as guide marks in assembling theballots.

ll the ballot is printei'i in two columns as indicated in. Figure l,each ballot will be folded back along the lieavy-rulcd vertical line m,Figure l, leaving exposed to view the first column oi? names with theaccompanyingvoting squares, the second column being folded under so asto be out o'l view. The folded ballots are then assembled, as heretoforedescribed, and the totals registered "for all candidates whose namesappear in the first column. All ballots in the assembled. group willthen be unfolded, the assembled group will then carry a display of" allnames in the second colunm together with all the voting squarespertaining to said names, the first column oi names and voting squaresnow beii'ig hidden from view. The totals will now be entered as before.it there be other columns-i they will be unloldcd and the totals'loin'id and entered as in the second column, thus completing the workof count/in the ballots and finding the total vote cast 'lt'or eachcandidate and proposition voted upon.

it will be noted that there has been no oral reading of the ballots, andthat each assembled group of ballots becomes a tally sheet upon whichare accurately recorded all votes cast in said group ot ballots.

By turning the ballots one would turn the pages of a book, anyindividual ballot may be inspected for any purpose desired.

The gum or other means for attaching the ballots together, ashereto'lln'e set il Ortlninay be applied either belore or alter thevoting is done, but by applying the paste or gum tlL- the time theballots are assembled there will be no danger of the paste becomingmoistened inadvertently while the ballot is being handled by the voter,with the result that the folded ballot will become damaged, defeatingthe object of the invention.

I claim:

1. The herein described election ballot having two or more verticalcolumns of spaces for the names of candidates or propositions to bevoted upon, each column being somewhat narrower than the adjacent columnat the left and one or more columns of voting squares adjacent thelateral right hand edge of each column of spaces for names of candidatesor propositions, said ballot being provided along the left hand edgewith a suitable vertical space for fastening means, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of aplurality of ballots of similar size and form and having verticalcolumns of candidates or other proposition spaces arranged thereon, eachcolumn being somewhat narrower than the column adjacent at the leftandmeans to attach the several ballots each to each in a definite positionproviding for a projection of each ballot beyond the next one adjacentthereto in a lateral direction, whereby the voting spaces opposite thename of each candidate or proposition will appear in a straighthorizontal line.

3. In a votlng device of the character set forth, the combination of aseries of ballots of uniform size, shape and printing, each ballothaving two or more vertical columns of names of candidates orpropositions to be voted on with a voting square or squares oppositeeach name, a starting sheet of a length corresponding to the length ofeach ballot and having vertically arranged spaces corresponding to theseveral marking spaces aforesaid, and means to securely connect anyballot of a series to said starting sheet, leaving the vertical marginof the starting sheet exposed opposite the respective voting squares ofsaid ballot, and also to secure all the succeeding ballots of the serieseach to each and to the said starting sheet, with all of the votingsquares of the several ballots exposed opposite the names of therespective candidates whereby the totals of votes for the severalcandidates may be readily ascertained and marked upon said startingsheet. In testimony whereof l. have signed my name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD GARRETT COTTER.

Witnesses:

W. J. BOYD, J. M. PUTNAM.

